Women on the Water Festival

Want to learn how to kayak or stand up paddle or take your paddling skills to the next level?

WANT TO LEARN HOW TO KAYAK CANOE OR STAND UP PADDLE?

ARE YOU READY TO TAKE YOUR PADDLING SKILLS TO THE NEXT LEVEL?

Our festival is now in its seventh year! We are teaming up with Wild Women Expeditions again this year to offer this amazing women’s only weekend. We will again be bringing together some of the most celebrated kayak and standup paddleboard coaches in the paddling scene in Ontario.

Women On Water is open to all women, from beginners to advanced paddlers, featuring Kayak, Canoe and Stand Up Paddling (SUP) skills sessions.

Our festival will bring together some of the most celebrated coaches in the paddling scene.

Meet other Wild Women paddlers, check out the great kayaking and SUP sessions, including coaching clinics for advanced paddlers to hone paddling and rolling skills.

It will be a weekend of paddling fun and skills clinics with paddling pros who will guide you in an empowering, fun women-only skills weekend. For beginners to advanced paddlers, there are classes just right for everyone.

Registering for sessions:

To book click Book Now below. You will be required to choose your Saturday all-day, Sunday morning and Sunday afternoon sessions when you checkout. IF YOU WANT TO CHANGE YOUR CHOICES: Send an email to dympna@learntokayak.ca

Social time and land workshop. (Sessions to be provided during lunch on Saturday. (No sign up required.)

4:30 pm - 7:30 pm

Marketplace and silent auction (Auction raising money for the Georgian Bay Biosphere. Let us know if you want to have a stall to exhibit your craft, art or items. Your table is free with the donation of an item to the silent auction)

5:30 pm - 6:30 pm

Dinner (Dining Hall) Announcements at 5:45pm

8:00 pm - 11:00 pm

Evening entertainment (Rec Hall) Artist TBA

Sunday June 13th 2021

7:00 am - 8:00 am

Before Breakfast Yoga (Rec Hall)

7:00 am - 8:00 am

Sunrise paddle.

7:45 am - 8:45 am

Breakfast (Dining Hall) Morning Announcements at 8:30am

9:00 am - 11:30 am

Morning classes (See descriptions and choose when booking)

11:45 am - 12:45 pm

Lunch (Dining Hall). Announcements at 12:30pm

1:00 pm - 3:30 pm

Afternoon Classes (See descriptions and choose when booking)

3:45 pm - Onwards

Gather in dining hall or front lawn for WOW 2019 group photo before heading out.

Session Descriptions

Beginner Kayaking Skills - Kayak beach

Time: 9:00 am - 11:30 am and 1:00 pm - 3:30 pm

Beginner KayakingSkills: This fun and relaxed day of kayaking is designed to introduce you to what kayaking is all about. We’ll begin the day talking about different types of kayaks, equipment and safety gear so that you have some knowledge in case you’re interested in buying a kayak. We’ll then venture into the water and learn how to launch a kayak and land a kayak in style. We will head out on the water and review all the basic strokes we use in kayaking. We’ll cover the forward stroke, sweep strokes, pivot turns, and draw strokes. After lunch we’ll get wet playing in our kayaks, wet exiting and rescuing each other. Expect lots of laughs and learning with your coaches for the day.

Instructor(s): TBD

Intermediate Kayaking Skills - Kayak Beach

Time: 9:00 am - 11:30 am and 1:00 pm - 3:30 pm

Intermediate Kayaking Skills: You’ve already taken a beginner course with us at WOW or you’ve been on one of our trips and now you’d like to get on the move. You will begin the day with a strokes review. Then we will move into working on a powerful forward stroke, blended strokes, edging, bracing, and rescues. Be prepared to get wet in the afternoon. We will cover assisted rescues, self-rescues, and scramble rescues. Coaches at this level are open to requests too so if there’s anything you’ve been dying to learn in your kayak, just ask and we’ll spend some time coaching that skill foryou.

Instructor(s): TBD

Advanced Kayak Skills - Kayak Beach

Time: 9:00 am - 11:30 am and 1:00 pm - 3:30 pm

Since this is WOW’s seventh year, there is now a demand for more advanced programming to serve those that have been paddling for a while now. In order to take this clinic, please have at least your Paddle Canada level one skills. This course will focus on building your core skills. We will work on blended strokes for better maneuvring, Speeding up our assisted and self rescues and really edging our kayaks for maximum performance. We will also troubleshoot any skills you are having difficulty mastering or any skills you really want to learn like a re-enter and roll or sculling for support.

Instructor(s): Dympna Hayes

Whats SUP? - SUP Beach

Time: 9:00 am - 11:30 am and 1:00 pm - 3:30 pm

What’s SUP?Introduction to Stand-Up Paddling: This course is open to all who want to know what SUP is all about. You’ll begin your day learning about different boards, different paddles, what a paddle leash is and how to carry a board safely. You’ll then head down to the water and get SUP-ing. Spend a day learning SUP balance, strokes and maybe even a rescue…wait, how do you rescue someone ona SUP? You’ll find out soon.

Instructor(s): TBD

Intermediate SUP - SUP Beach

Time: 9:00 am - 11:30 am and 1:00 pm - 3:30 pm

Intermediate SUP: This class is for those of you who may already own a SUP or have taken a lesson or have the basic balance and skills on a SUP board. In this class you will be breaking down the basic skills and working on makingthem more effective. You will workshop the forward stroke on tour and how to forward paddle effectively while not tiring yourself out. You will also work on balancing, walking your board, pivoting and edging. Be prepared to get wet. You can’t learn without fallingin!

Instructor(s): TBD

Maneuvering a canoe - Canoe Beach

Time: 9:00 am - 11:30 am and 1:00 pm - 3:30 pm

Saturday: Whether you have never been in a canoe or have paddled for years, join us to learn the basics or to upgrade your tandem skills with some advanced challenges. We’ll practice various skills that’ll help you get where you want to go with ease and finesse, and safety options designed to keep your boat open side up, but we’ll finish the day with canoe rescues, so be prepared to be wet! We will explore solo canoeing for interested participants. Strokes (intro to advanced techniques): forward, reverse, stops, draws, pries, sweeps, J-stroke, Silent stroke… special requests welcome! Maneuvers: Portage, balance, entry/exit, launch/land, pivots, side-slips, arcs/turns, straight lines, canoe-over-canoe and curl rescues. Sunday: We’ll use our skills to go on 2 (morning & afternoon) tours. Nature identification and skills coaching (on request) as we paddle.

Instructor(s): TBD

Sunday Morning session 9am-11:30am - Choose your Sunday AM class.

SUP Yoga - SUP Beach

Time: 9:00 am - 11:30 am

Open to Everyone! Balance, Stretch andPlay

Instructor(s): TBD

Try SUP Tour - SUP Beach

Time: 9:00 am - 11:30 am

Open to everyone! Try SUP or practice your new skills on a tour ofthe beautiful waters around CampTapawingo.

Instructor(s): TBD

SUP Superstars - SUP Beach

Time: 9:00 am - 11:30 am

This isn’t your first time on a SUP is it? Want to take it to the next level? This is the class for you.

Instructor(s): TBD

Beginner kayaking assisted rescues - Kayak Beach

Time: 9:00 am - 11:30 am

For everyone who would like to get more comfortable rescuing into their kayak. We will cover the wet exit, assisted rescue, and self-rescue. This is a great course to take after beginner kayak skills from Saturday to get really comfortable with your kayakrescues.

Try kayaking tour - Kayak Beach

Kayak balance, play, and self-rescues - Kayak Beach

Time: 9:00 am - 11:30 am

The key to getting comfortable in a kayak is by getting out of the seat and getting on top! Work on your balance and comfort by learning techniques for scrambling around your kayak. In the process you’re sureto get wet but you’re sure to have fun! Of course there will be rescues involved, you’ll spend so much time in the water. Try it, you’ll love it and feel so much more comfortable when you sit your bottom back in yourboat.

Instructor(s): TBD

Kaya edging and bracing - Kayak Beach

Time: 9:00 am - 11:30 am

In this session, we will play in our kayaks to increase our comfort level and advance our skills. We will talk about why we put our kayak on edge and practice it. We will also learn a low brace to help protect us from going in the water in the first place! We’ll then combine our edging with some strokes to make our kayak turn like a sportscar.

Canoe Tour with skills coaching - Canoe Beach

Time: 9:00 am - 11:30 am

Take a canoe tour with your coaches Dot and Lynette and learn some canoe paddling skills along the way. You will be paired up with another paddler in a tandem canoe. The morning tour will head towards Five Mile Bay. Nature identification and skills coaching (on request) as you enjoy our morning paddle.

Instructor(s):

Sunday Afternoon session 1pm-3:30pm - Choose your Sunday PM class.

Beginner kayaking and assisted rescues - Kayak Beach

Time: 1:00 pm - 3:30 pm

For everyone who would like to get more comfortable rescuing into their kayak. We will cover the wet exit, assisted rescue, and self-rescue. This is a great course to take after beginner kayak skills from Saturday to get really comfortable with your kayakrescues.

Kayak balance play and self rescues - Kayak Beach

Time: 1:00 pm - 3:30 pm

The key to getting comfortable in a kayak is by getting out of the seat and getting on top! Work on your balance and comfort by learning techniques for scrambling around your kayak. In the process you’re sureto get wet but you’re sure to have fun! Of course there will be rescues involved, you’ll spend so much time in the water. Try it, you’ll love it and feel so much more comfortable when you sit your bottom back in yourboat.

Instructor(s): TBD

Try Greenland style kayaking - Kayak Beach

Time: 1:00 pm - 3:30 pm

This is a fun introduction to paddling with a Greenland Stick. Dympna celebrates the traditional skills of kayaking by introducing you to a Greenland paddle. In this course you will play with the forward stroke, sweep strokes, pivots, turns and sculling with a Greenlandstick.

Instructor(s): Dympna Hayes

SUP Yoga - SUP Beach

Time: 1:00 pm - 3:30 pm

Open to Everyone! Balance, Stretch andPlay

Instructor(s): TBD

Try SUP Tour - SUP Beach

Time: 1:00 pm - 3:30 pm

Open to everyone! Try SUP or practice your new skills on a tour ofthe beautiful waters around CampTapawingo.

Instructor(s): TBD

SUP Forward Paddling - SUP Beach

Time: 1:00 pm - 3:30 pm

This session will help you refine your forward paddling technique on a SUP. Efficiency is everything when you are taking hundreds of strokes, every little improvement will take you further and with less effort.

Instructor(s): TBD

Canoe tour with coaching - Canoe beach

Time: 1:00 pm - 3:30 pm

Take a canoe tour with your coaches Dot and Lynette and learn some canoe paddling skills along the way. You will be paired up with another paddler in a tandem canoe. The afternoon tour will head in the other direction than the morning tour as you head towards the famous swing bridge which connects Parry Island to the mainland. Nature identification and skills coaching (on request) as we enjoy our afternoon paddle.